Let’s start with the breakdown of the bottle. The name of the company that produces the wine will be at the top, followed by the variety of wine, the region and type of grapes used, and the year it was made. Alcohol content will be at the very bottom of the label:

Different wines should be served at different temperatures. Red wine should be room temperature, or about 20-25 degrees C, while pink or rosé wines should be served slightly chilled around 7-13 degrees C.

White wine and sparkling wine should both be cold — keep them in the fridge so that they’re below 5°C, or 40°F.

Different types of glasses are best for different types of wine. Of course, you don’t need all the variety of glasses in your home, but when picking out glasses, choose ones that complement the type of wine you favour.

It’s always a good idea to have champagne flutes and port glasses on hand, as well.

Ah, tannins: One of the more confusing components when experts talk about wine. All you really have to know is that a tannin is a textural element of the wine that makes it taste dry.

Here’s what you don’t have to know, but might find interesting: Tannin is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in plants, seeds, bark, wood, leaves, and fruit skins. Tannins add bitterness, astringency, and a complex flavour to your wine.

Typically, tannins in wine either come from the grapes’ skin, seeds, or stems. Tannins can also be from the wood of the barrel that the wine was aged in.

Wine tannins are most commonly found in red wine, although some white wines have tannins from being aged in wooden barrels.